


Hunter's Test

by AnselaJonla



Series: Prompt fills [48]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, Reddit Prompt, r/writingprompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:20:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24008020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnselaJonla/pseuds/AnselaJonla
Summary: A fic written for a prompt on the r/WritingPrompts subreddit:[WP] "I said NON-LETHAL!"
Series: Prompt fills [48]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1097823
Kudos: 1





	Hunter's Test

"I said NON-LETHAL!" I bellow as I stagger out of the testing ground. My students blanch as they spot the trail of blood I'm leaving behind me.

"But... you're still _alive_ ," one of the class smart arses mutters. I'm not sure if he thinks I can't hear him, or if he feels safely anonymous from the back of the huddled pack.

"Fifty lines, Mr Brixl. 'I shall not sass my Traps and Ambushes instructor.'" No Orc who's barely left his dam's teat is going to get away with back chatting _me_ on my own turf. Cheh.

Now, onto the rest of the ways these pups have utterly failed this exam. I cast my eye across them. Even so soon into their schooling, I have a pretty good idea who is responsible for which trap I faced in the arena. I'm not saying that racial profiling is a _good_ thing, but there does tend to be some... stagnation among the people's that send their brats to Hunter's Haven for schooling.

"First up, the spike pit near the entrance. Whose bright idea was that?" Hopefully they've already figured out that I expect prompt, truthful answers to direct questions. If they haven't reckoned that after three months, there's probably no hope for them.

A furry arm raises into the air. Ah, one of the beast races, the descendants of an unethical and horny sorcerer's forays into magical crossbreeding a couple of millennia ago. Makes sense that the Primelphs would be so drawn to the method used to kill their non-human ancestors.

"Good work, Jyr. I especially liked the not-too-obvious decoy pit that caused me to divert towards the hidden one. The fast acting poison on the spikes was another nice touch. If you were _meant_ to be using lethal traps, I would have given you a high grade for such a well laid pit."

The next trap, a volley of spears triggered by trip wire, was laid by an elf. No surprise there. It was one of the Araign, another beast race (okay, _multiple_ sorcerers) who laid the only non-lethal trap of the test, a net intended to raise me into the trees and keep me trapped in its sticky folds until someone cut me down: she was the only one to actually be given a high passing grade."

Rock falls, swinging contraptions designed to puncture flesh, break bones, or push me off precipices, flying projectiles, and several hidden drops. This class _really_ struggles with the idea of 'non-lethal'. If I wasn't as good as I am, I'd have been dead ten times over in that hell maze.

As it is, I'll need to visit the Apothecary Mistress and sweet talk her into restocking my supply of healing draughts and poison cures. I don't know why she gets so huffy, she knows I'll pay. I always do, either in ingredients or in gold, depending on how my latest hunt went.

"Mistress Hadvir, what use are non-lethal traps?" One of the class eventually asks. It took a bloody long time for one of them to think of _that_ one. Their predecessors usually thought to ask _before_ the test. This lot are embarrassing.

"Sit down," I bark. I'm not giving a theory lesson standing up. I hop up onto my preferred perch for this location. Screw having to look down on my own students when I don't have to. "A Hunter's primary purpose is _not_ to kill, it is to _hunt_."

The class stares up at me, confusion written over their faces. To them the two actions are one and the same. And to the layperson they _are_. For most Beings and creatures, hunting is a means to an end, a way to turn a live animal into food. But not for us, not for _Hunters_.

"We're no mere slayers of beasts, picking up a bow or setting a trap to feed those dependent on our skills. Oh, we'll do that sometimes. All Beings need to eat after all." I hear a mutter from the back of the group. When _will_ they learn that my hearing is sharp? "Yes, even the Vampyres must slake their hunger from time to time."

I shake myself, settling my feathers again at that mention of those twisted aberrations. "Not all hunts will end in the death of our quarry, however. If you're contracted to effect the return of a lordling to his father's court after he runs away in a fit of youthful pique, you'll be best served to return him alive and, relatively, unharmed. If some rich merchant desires a unicorn as a pet for his young daughter, or as a test of her virginity, then he does not want a unicorn's _corpse_."

That thing about unicorns only liking virgins is absolute _bullshit_ by the way, but I'll leave that little revelation to their Creatures tutor.

"You will be assigned missions where killing your quarry will cause you to _fail_ , and perhaps even cause your client to try and take your life in compensation. As smoothing ruffled tempers can be costly to the Haven, we do prefer that you _avoid_ such things."

I raise my crest to emphasise my next words, the bright red flare ensuring that all students eyes are on me. "So when I say 'non-lethal', I FUCKING WELL MEAN 'NON-FUCKING-LETHAL'."


End file.
